Fishing Report
When is the best time to go fishing? Here in the north woods, every day is the best day. Our area contains a wide range of lakes with varied depths, shoreline structures, and a wide range of fish species. Seasoned anglers know success requires patience and a willingness to try different techniques. If you have a youngster in the group, they will most likely catch the biggest fish - it always happens. So, maybe no technique is a good strategy too. For those interested in learning about lake structure, water quality, or creel surveys, we encourage you to visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lake Finder page. Area lakes will either be found in St. Louis or Lake County. Minnesota Fishing Regulations
July 1st, 2025
***Fishing Report***
Walleye - Walleye reports have walleyes sliding out a little deeper. The majority of walleye reports this last week have anglers finding walleyes in 8-16 feet of water now. Anglers have been pulling spinner rigs, tipped with crawlers, along weed lines, transition areas along points, and out over sunken islands. Gold, perch and blue spinner blades have been popular this last week. Reports of shallow-water walleyes remain. Here anglers are catching walleye with soft plastics fished on a 1/8 or 1/4oz jig, over rocky shorelines. Jig and half a crawler hasve also been worth noting here.
Panfish - Crappies have been snapping in shallow water in and around lily pads this last week. Thick lily pad beds are no good. Scattered lily pads have been the best for crappies. Anglers have been casting small jigs and twisters, crappie minnows under a bobber to these lily pads, to catch crappies. Sunfish remain shallow and are being caught back in pencil reed beds and weed beds. Wax worms, green crawlers, and angleworms fished under a bobber have been very effective here.
Smallmouth - The once super, hot topwater bite has been cooling off to mainly early morning for the best bite (before 9am). Once the sun gets up anglers have been having luck with square bills, wacky worms, chatter baits, and spinnerbaits. Rocky shorelines with downed trees, large flats, out around islands and rivers are all holding active smallies. White, crawfish colors, and green pumpkin have been hot colors this last week.
Stream Trout - Area Stream Trout lakes remain popular for good reason. Rainbow trout have been snapping! Limits of rainbows are being caught trolling small minnow baits or small trolling spoons over deep water. A good rule of thumb is the brighter the better as far as colors go. Anglers fishing from shore have been having really good luck casting a 2” white twister, small spoons, and the tried and true nightcrawler floated under a bobber.
Pike - Pike anglers have been catching good numbers of quality pike this last week. Anglers have been throwing spoons in and around weed beds for very consistent action. Anglers targeting larger pike have been trolling large spinnerbaits, large minnow baits and large soft plastic baits along weed lines, river mouths, and mouths of shallow bays. The best depth for the bigger pike has been 8-14 feet of water.
Lake Trout - Lake Trout anglers have been reporting that lakers are slowly going deeper as surface water temps warm. Anglers have been reporting that they are catching lakers from 30-80ft of water now. Many anglers have been trolling large trolling spoons, with down riggers, over deep water to find active lakers. Anglers fishing from a canoe have vertically jigging large bucktails and tubes over deep water. Red/white, blue/white, and solid chartreuse have been popular colors for tubes or bucktails.